Burial-casket



PATENT OFFICE.

MATHIAS M. HOFFMANN, OF-DUBUQUE, IowA.

BU RlAL-CASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,762, dated August 21, 189

" Application filed May 22, 1894. Serial No. 512,143. (No model.) i

To alt whom it may concern.- Be It known that I, MATHIAS M. HOFFMANN,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Dudo hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

The object of my invention is to provide a cover or lid for a burial casket, which shall be composed of two parts, a foot portion having a name-panel integral therewith, and a head portion, consisting of a number of sectlons hinged together, and one section hinged to the head of the casket, the name-plate is hinged to one of the sections of the face-plate in such a manner that when the sections of the face-plate are folded over the head of the casket out of the way, the name-plate will fold therewith and rest thereon, where it may be more readily seen when the remains in the casket are being viewed, and leaving the name-panel free to be occupied by flowers or otherwise, and when the casket is closed,the name-plate will rest upon the name-panel in the foot portion of the cover or lid.

In explaining the details of my construc tion, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a perspective of a casket with my Improved face-plate and name-plate open,

and Fig. 2. is a plan view of the casket with the face-plate and name-plate closed.

Likeletters of reference denote corresponding parts in both the drawings.

A, represents the body of the casket,-B the cover or lid. Thelid consists of two parts, the face-plate for the head, and cover for the foot of the casket. The face-plate is composed preferably, of three sections hinged together, one of the sections hinged to the head of the casket, and each adapted to fold upon the other, and all fold out over the head of the casket. The section 0, is hinged to the head of the casket in such a manner that when it is folded back, the upper side of section 0, will face downward over the outer edge of the casket, as shown in Fig. 1. Section D, is hinged to. the inner end of section 0, in such a manner that its under face will rest against the under face of section 0, when folded over. To the inner end of section D, is hinged the section E, in such a way that its upper face shall be turned down upon the up per face of section D, when the face-plate is folded over. To the inner end of E, is hinged the name-plate F, by hinges a-a, of such length that when the face-plate is closed, the name-plate will rest on the center of the namepanel G,on the lid B, and still remain hinged to the section E, and when open, the nameplate will rest in the center of the section E, on top of the folded sections 0, D, and E, at the head of the casket, where it can be readily seen by those passing the casket, when the remains are being viewed.

It will be seen that by this mode of construction, when the face-plate is closed down, and it is desired to open the same, the nameplate F, is folded against the under side of section E, the upper side of E, is folded against the upper side of section D, and D, is folded against the under side of E, and C, with all of the parts folded upon its under side, is folded over the end of the casket, leaving the name-plate F, exposed to View at the head of the casket. It will also be observed, that none of the parts, C, D, or E, need be upholstered or decorated, unless the under side of the part E, around its outer edges, beyond the space occupied by the name-plate F. Further, by this mode of folding the face-plate, the usual panel for the name is left free for floral oflerings, if desired, and also that by folding the face-plate at the head, it is entirely out of the way of thoseviewing the remains in the casket, with the name-plate resting on the top of the folded face-plate, and in full view.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In a burial casket, aface-plate consisting of sections hinged together, and one section hinged to the head of the casket and adapted to fold out over the head of the casket, in combination with a name-plate hinged to the inner section of the face-plate and adapted to fold with sections of the face-plate, over the head of the casket, and rest thereon, when the casket is open, for the purpose shown.

2. In a burial casket, a cover for the foot 5 of the casket, having a name-panel integral therewith, aface-plate composed of sections hinged together, and one section hinged to the head of the casket, said sections adapted to fold upon each other and out over the head 10 of the casket, in combination with a nameplate hinged to one of the sections of the faceplate and adapted to rest upon the name- MATHIAS M. HOFFMANN. Witnesses:

M. M. GADY, M. REILLEY. 

